Kids II, a global producer of infant and toddler toys and gear has restaged its signature brands, Baby Einstein and Bright Starts, with updated identities that “bring enhanced meaning and power to the brands,” says Kids II Design/Art Director, Marketing Creative & Imaging, Adam Bain. The rebranding of its packaging has so far included more than 200 SKUs, which launched at the end of 2015 and have increased sales significantly.
The impetus for change came from a realization by Kids II that their brands were “dated and disconnected” under their corporate brand, explains Joe Duffy, Kids II Creative Director and Chairman & Chief Creative Officer of Duffy, which spearheaded the Kids II rebranding project. “They also blended into a sea of sameness in the baby toy and gear categories,” he adds.
For the new design, Kids II was looking for a restaging of each of its product brands that retained their equity, while bringing them all together into a family of brands from Kids II. Says Duffy, “Their product branding didn’t do enough to express the individual characteristics of each brand apart from the competitive set.”
Baby Einstein and Bright Starts were each given a completely new and unique brand language that retained enough of the existing design to maintain their relationship with brand loyalists. Elements of the package designs include bold, bright, unique color combinations, and logotypes and brand marks created to express fun as well as learning. Explains Duffy, fonts and imagery were created to tell a story about their individual brand attributes.
The update of Baby Einstein coincides with the 20th anniversary of the brand, which comprises developmental products designed to enrich baby’s young mind with a combination of language, music, art, animals, and nature. The new visual identity is inspired by discovery and progressive learning. Bright Starts, a line of products designed to spark smiles and laughter in babies, is rebranded with simple, bright, and amusing elements.
“The new visual expression offers an experience that kids engage in and parents ultimately trust,” says Duffy. “The design concept delivers differentiation in a highly competitive marketplace and reinforces the brilliant design executed in Kids II products.”
